Rams and Raiders headline teams that face must-win games in Week 10

CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 03: Carolina Panthers Running Back Christian McCaffrey (22) checks the big screen to see who's chasing him as he streaks towards the end zone during an NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tennessee Titans on November 3, 2018 at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by John McCreary/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 03: D.J. Moore #12 of the Carolina Panthers makes a catch against the Tennessee Titans during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 03, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers won 30-20. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

3. Carolina Panthers

The NFC playoff picture is loaded with quality teams, and the Carolina Panthers are certainly one of them. Even with starting quarterback Cam Newton sidelined with a lingering foot injury, the Panthers have climbed back into the postseason race with a 5-1 record behind his backup, Kyle Allen.

The big difference maker for the Panthers has been running back Christian McCaffrey, who has emerged as a MVP candidate over the first half of the year. McCaffrey, who ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns in Carolina’s win over Tennessee, has piled up over 150 yards from scrimmage in 6 of the Panthers’ first 8 games.

Despite the strong showing, the Panthers find themselves behind the eight ball in the NFC playoff picture, which has a strong field of wild card contenders including the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles. Assuming the current division winners maintain their positioning, which is not a given, only two of these five teams will make the postseason.

Carolina has a difficult schedule down the stretch, and it needs to secure as many tiebreakers as possible to help their cause. They will get a big opportunity to get one against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, who are coming off a loss to the Chargers and will be looking to bounce back.

Green Bay struggled against the run in Los Angeles, giving up 159 yards on the ground, which is not a good omen with McCaffrey waiting in the wings. If Carolina can’t take advantage of this opportunity, they will have significant issues getting to the top of the heap in the NFC.

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